The Republican Trifecta: Tea Party, Evangelicals, Moderates

[HisDivineShadow]

http://www.democracycorps.com/attachmen ... 0final.pdf


A VERY interesting survey on the three main Republican demographics, their views and concerns.

It really is intriguing how atrociously short-sighted Republicans have been. Short-sightedness seems to be symptomatic of their party's philosophy really (climate change skepticism, cutting education & infrastructure, defunding welfare programs, etc). Yet they really should've seen this coming.

For years they've been acting as extremist as they can and continually tugging the Overton Window to the far-Right, while somehow maintaining the facade of being "Fair and Balanced." The Democrats shuffled along with them the whole way while staying just a few steps to the left, and now the Republicans have finally backed themselves against the wall with nowhere left to go. All that's left that's close to being reasonable is the Dems.

It's also really fascinating how aware the Republicans are about the dangers of a government that has a solid welfare system (since it'll win over economically disenfranchised voters) and how they've been so hamstrung in their attempts to bank on the same philosophy of "Hey maybe we should be nice to people and keep them from dying in the streets for a change" (remember that in 2009-2010 when the Affordable Care Act was being discussed there were rumors of more moderate Congressmen who wanted to compromise, but found it politically impossible due to the Tea Party protests). The Tea Party has been both their blessing and their bane: they're the last bastion of "true Conservativism" that gives their party a core identity. Yet at the same time they've made it impossible for Conservatives to walk back on their far-Right extremism.

This is probably why Conservatives in America have become so delusional, intellectually isolated, and self-contradictory. If they didn't isolate themselves in their own bubble away from the real world, they might, just MIGHT, have to face the idea that they've been heading in the wrong direction all this time, that their policies are inherently destructive, and that once they look in the mirror and reevaluate what they've done for the last decade, they won't like what they see.

[Zengus]

Ugh. Yeah, Republicans are a bunch of crazy paranoid racists (by and large, and certainly in their most vocal constituencies), and it's cornholed them because there simply aren't enough white people willing to buy in to their societal suicide pact to overrule the minority vote anymore, and they've backed themselves into a corner by relying on the power of nutjobs for so long. This is something that I commented on, like, when Obama won the presidency (the first time). Maybe I should have gone into political analysis, because this shit seems about as simple as it gets to me.

I for one look forward to when the racist/evangelist parts of their party get increasingly marginalized and turned into unrespected fringe movements, as the Republicans begin trying to build support solely on financial platforms (and maybe some other issues they decide to take arbitrary stands on, but likely much less volatile and fundamentally divisive ones- issues that are about ideas, not types of people). It'll happen over the next fifteen years or so, as many of the oldest generation die off, and have their roles replaced by newer, younger voices. I am calling it now!

Or, you know, maybe shit will really hit the fan and the party will just completely implode, and we'll see the rise of a new right wing group to take its place, or even potentially see a break from the two party system if multiple groups hold on to support. That could be neat, but I really doubt it'll happen. People are too attached to two teams, us vs. them kind of arrangements (and they will keep rooting for the same sad fucks forever, even if they lose every game in a row for decades)

[Sorce]

Between the Dems and the Repubs, there's about enough votes to make the stoppage a non-issue, but Boehner knows that if that happens, the Tea Party sect of the Republicans will get the votes needed to have him replaced. So because he likes his job, we have a Shutdown.

[shadowmimiiru]

*shakes head, walks away.*

[Despanan]

It might actually be better if Boner keeps his job. Can you imagine if the tea party put someone like Rand Paul in his position? We'd have shutdowns every other week - and there's no WAY we wouldn't default on our foreign debt.

Which would be catastrophic.

[HisDivineShadow]

[Phantomgrift]

So there is nothing worthwhile in this thread as it's simply a political circle-jerk by forum members who's views on politics are already well-established.

On that note, I'm underway again, and the Pixar movie "Turbo" is running in the background. This is seriously a weird movie and apparently, nitrous oxide has the power to fuse with snail DNA on the molecular level, granting it super-speed and the abilities of your average souped-up rice-burner.

[dexeron]

Things Phant is wrong about:

1. Turbo is not a Pixar movie.
2. Everything else.

[Rip]

Nobody wants a one party system, Phantsy; not even us godless liberals. If the only party that preaches fiscal conservatism is also the party currently driving itself and the country it claims to love into the fucking grime, then that's not exactly a great thing, right?

It's not OUR fault the republicans can't fix their own party. Personally, I like these kinds of threads more though when we talk about what they SHOULD be doing instead, to maintain viability in a practical way.

Boobies and tits unrelated.

[cain]

Fuck you, and fuck your face.

Tits are ALWAYS related.